


i could be a morning sunrise

by Lysippe



Series: The Worst Witch 2018 Winter Fluff-A-Thon [15]
Category: The Worst Witch (TV 2017), The Worst Witch - All Media Types
Genre: F/F, LITERALLY, and pippa has cold feet, hecate is a space heater
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2018-12-17
Packaged: 2019-09-20 17:41:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17027169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lysippe/pseuds/Lysippe
Summary: Pippa had always been a snuggler, for as long as Hecate could remember. Even as girls, she had never hesitated to climb into Hecate’s bed at school and make herself comfortable when she was inevitably the first to bore of studying for the night.(Based on art by BlackDistraction on Tumblr. Link in notes.)





	i could be a morning sunrise

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, y'all. This one is kind of serving double duty here. I was browsing Hicsqueak art on Tumblr, as I do sometimes when I'm bored and want to look at soft things. And I happened upon a piece I've looked at a dozen times, but when I looked at it and read the little blurb the artist had written, it made me absolutely desperate to write a fic based around it. So I messaged BlackDistraction (blackdistractionart.tumblr.com) and more or less begged them to let me do it, and they very kindly agreed.
> 
> So this fic is a riff on that piece of art, as well as my (tardy) submission for the Free Day for this challenge. It incorporates a bit of several different prompts from the challenge, and is still solidly winter-themed, so we're going to go with it.
> 
> The art in question: http://blackdistractionart.tumblr.com/post/169722604789/i-dont-know-how-you-can-sleep-pipsqueak-i-feel

Pippa had always been a snuggler, for as long as Hecate could remember. Even as girls, she had never hesitated to climb into Hecate’s bed at school and make herself comfortable when she was inevitably the first to bore of studying for the night. 

And Hecate, who never minded nearly as much as she put on, would roll her eyes with half-hearted resistance and say,  _ “I don’t know how you can sleep like this, Pipsqueak. I feel every one of your breaths against me and it feels like every part of me is on fire.” _

_ “Well, it’s not my fault we can’t study in my bedroom, and that’s where my bed is,”  _ Pippa would mumble indignantly.  _ “It’s you who always says it’s too noisy.” _

_ “It  _ is  _ too noisy,”  _ Hecate would argue, as Pippa buried herself deeper into the blankets, her hot breath sending shivers down Hecate’s spine with every exhale.  _ “You share a wall with Josephine Marshwood. I don’t imagine it’s ever quiet in your room.” _

_ “Not nearly often enough,”  _ Pippa would agree pressing her nose into Hecate’s neck, her breaths already becoming deeper, more even.  _ “She even snores loudly. Why do you spend so many nights in here?” _

It was a question that sat in the back of Hecate’s mind for years to come, through many nights spent with Pippa curled around her as she lay propped-up in her bed, finishing exercise after exercise, chapter after chapter, until sleep eventually overtook her need to absorb any knowledge she could, at every moment.

Long after Josephine Marshwood graduated and was replaced by a shy, mousy-haired first year who Hecate thought might have been the quietest child she had ever met.

Long after Hecate had lost Pippa for what she thought, at the time, was for good.

And as months stretched into years stretched into decades, she never found her answer.

It was only years later — and more ragged, raw admissions, and fearful, tentative touches, and heart-pounding first kisses than Hecate could have counted — that she began to realize how little had changed.

Exhausted far past the point of reason and chilled to the bone in that way that even the strongest warming spells she could cast didn’t quite help, Hecate had climbed into bed for the night. And Pippa, equally chilled and substantially more put out by that fact, had slipped in next to her, pressing as much of her body into Hecate’s as she could manage, searching for warmth that wasn’t there. Hecate shivered as icy fingers skittered over her abdomen, feeling the cold even through her nightgown. The midnight walk in the first snow of the season had been Pippa’s idea of a romantic way to spend the evening, and despite her better judgment, Hecate had gone along with it. The only thing it had ended up being, was cold and wet.

“You’re  _ freezing _ , Pippa,” she groused, catching Pippa’s wrist and bringing her hand to rest between them.

I “I’m trying not to be,” Pippa sighed, the tip of her cold nose a pinprick against Hecate’s neck, “but these warming spells are rubbish.”

Hecate felt a rush of indignation. “My warming spells are not rubbish. The spell is simply meant to create a warmer environment. It does nothing to alleviate the unpleasantness of other types of cold.”

“I actually do know how warming spells work,” Pippa mumbled, her voice muffled by Hecate’s hair. “But usually I have you to keep me warm, and you’re falling quite woefully short tonight.”

“I am profoundly sorry that I cannot fill my normal role as your space heater this evening,” Hecate said drily. “You see, I have been out in the same cold you have, and--”

Pippa wriggled her hand free and clamped it over Hecate’s mouth firmly. “Yes, yes,” she said. “I understand how cold works.” 

“I’m heartened to know that.” Hecate’s voice came out a good bit softer than intended as Pippa’s breath brushed the skin of her neck. She let herself relax, let the steady rhythm of warm air against her skin push aside the barriers she kept up, even now, even here. They were as much a part of her as her as the magic that thrummed in her veins, at this point. But Pippa, with her warm breath and her soft sighs and her perpetually freezing extremities, had always been able to worm her way in as though it was nothing.

Pippa shifted against Hecate’s shoulder, and the warm puffs of air went away. “I can move,” she said, as her free arm tightened around Hecate’s waist. Hecate bit back a chuckle at how transparently unwilling the offer was. 

“No,” she said, reaching a hand to pull Pippa’s head back to her. Pippa gave a quick, contented sigh as Hecate tucked a few loose strands of hair behind her ear. “For someone who claims to be cold, you keep me quite warm.”

Hecate felt Pippa’s lips twist into a smile. “Funny, I was about to say the same thing to you. Why do you think I always spent so many nights in your bed?”

**Author's Note:**

> Join me on Tumblr @ thebestdressedrebelinhistory and for the love of all that is good and righteous, go look at BlackDistraction's art on Tumblr @ blackdistractionart. They're phenomenally talented and you won't regret it.


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